Sectional metal signboard



June 17 1924.

M. SAYRE SECTIONAL METAL S IGEQgOARD Filed Max ch 2.

1923 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 17 1924.

F. M. SAYRE SECTIONAL METAL SIGNBOAHD Filed March 2. 1923 2 Shes ts-Sheet 2 i @19 tl hesa e g Patented June 17, 1924.

STATES FREDERICK M. SAYJRLE, 0F MicHIGAN CITY, IND IANA it SECTIO'NAL METAL SIGNIBOARD.

Application fil ed Mereh 2, 1923. Serial No. 622,286.

certain new' and usefiil linpieveinent' in" seot iqnelf Metel of which i the following W isge speeifijeetionl lily invention relates celnpds cl in the mat-in 0t 1 identi eel pa nelsi adep ted t6 1, intei ii't with ezih other pie s siiief and str'es s sancl strhins clue to' othe rjctiiises Still anOtfhei e'ct is" to piO Vide a se'etibn'a l v w'hi'clf'thee'en'ne'c tien between lpiiielsf will be airtight thus ayeiding,,ithef dangeif, of having posters blWn from the siiifaee o'f the signin spots in ceseswhere ,posters are-applied tcf'th'e' fii Iit ef "the sig nl It i is we'll knfd i ir "by bill Seed others that Wheie jsign's"ofortli ebnstfu'ction 'aie ,1 einpleyed cracks frequently openYup which pei-r'nit the wind to blew} ageinstjthefbzic'k of the ek'pns'ecl perjtidn of the poster, thus oftenbausiiig,"a portion of the poster to lbe torn from its'p'l'ii'eei resultflof inventionfthe'sign is Windtight and there is no ptissibility of the pe be ns-b o .Iaece"o'riipl-"sh' my objects l the construe tiqnfshqwii in the" accompanying drawings in whleh ;Figui'e lf is 'e i' i ontview of it ceinp letetl' pei ti onspf the frame beinghreken awey tqreyeal theihtgrnel construction. .Fig'ii eQQ is e 'reaf'elevatiOh in which eelt'tii'nfpa'i'ts erej'sirnilai'ly'hrbken away to show"thcbnsti-uetion beyond.

P h r A teiseetionzi l"inetzil signboaiiglshzimt the general Qhjec t of the invention, 1s to provide a simple v sectional Figure 3 is a; sectional View on the line 3+3, Figure 1;

Figure 4B is a plan section On the line 4 4,

Figiire 6" 's a sectional View construction at the" edges of the panel.

5' is anfenlargecl top View of in I enlarged i to a still'gie'ater scale showing" the inte'rfitting Figure"? isa"p'erspeetive View showing the heel: f a panel} Figur 8 is a sectional detail showing a mothfifed'fermof framwmiky out the several views;

Like numerals cle'nbte like parts through i illustrated ar formof p'ane'l-whicli'lhas -mzbny atlventfiges 1161; only as embod 'yingthe gen eral princ'ip'leof the invention; but,-in;ad-

di'tion, proinetin'g quantity pi-odnction and hern'i-bn'izingwith goed shop/practice. "An

individual panel is sho-W'ii' separately-in per spe ctive ini 'iire' 7. These panel'simpish-- tiee": ate usila 'c'o'inposed of galvanized sheetsgen cl fe ordinary uses it is common te'sel'eet a st'ckf size of 30 120 inches?! It I Will be unclerstdocl fi'om this'fth'at fbi the lzi i'gei sizes of signboards the individual sheets "tire 9f censitlei 'ahle size 'an(1"c0n"sequentlymm subjected to ceiisiclefable Wind pressurefwyhen"=in' 'use. it will be under stood, however, thatslfeets ofwaiiioiis sizes they be"eniployed witliin the-spirit (pf-the invention. 7 M s 1 rl ceer cling' to "the design shown, one edge Ofthe sheet has a hex break, that is; is folded back upon itself so as to form 21 feet" angular box seamen 2 with an additional" hewvei er, as it cloe's-not-require a'punetiiring' of the metal, and no fasteningde'vi'ces are away at thecorners 6 so" that'thehoxsection will terminate short 0f? the ends ofth'e sheet t6 pei'rnit the bbrclering fmme to over lap the sheet as will be hereinafter explained. While it is possible to substitute some other form of section at the edge of the panel, the design illustrated is excellent for the reason that-the metal is integral and also that a rectangular box section affords great stiffening to the panel and also affords an advantageous shape for co-operating with the channeled edge of the ad jacent panel. It also assists in producing a wind tight connection at the joints of the board.

Except for the finishing panel the panels are all alike and each-one has at the edge opposite to the one with the box section a channel bar 8 having a marginal flange or foot 10 by which it is secured to the back of the sheet. By preference this is spot welded as shown at 12, Figure 6, although other fastening means may be substituted as previously explained. It terminates short of the ends of the panel to permit the bordering frame to overlap the ends of the panels. Said channel 8 is rectangular and of such dimensions that the box section 2 will fit fairly snugly into it to prevent rattling or play after the sign has been erected. It will be evident that when the edges of the panels are interfitted as illustrated, for example, in Figures 4 and 8, the panels will be braced not only by the element which is fastened to them but they will cooperate with each other to brace each other. The result is that even though the panels are 10 feet high they will, when erected, possess great stiffness and will be able easily to resist almost any degree of wind pressure that can occur. Another result of the construction is that the board is impervious towind and weather. In many bill posters, signboards, cracks may be found which will let moisture thru from the back and also admit wind pressure. The moisture softens the paper and the paste and the result is, quite commonly, that sections of the poster in front of and near such cranks will be torn off and the poster ruined. This is impossible with my construction.

While not essential, it is desirable that the panels at both extremities of the sign board shall present a box section as this contour is better for attachment to the bordering frame. I accomplish this by making a finishing or terminal panel shown at the right end of Figure 4. It is in all respect like the others except that its channel 1 1 is slightly lower than the others and thus is able to fit thereinto. In assembling, the terminal panel is reversed from the others, end for end, and thus there is a box section at both ends of the group.

The panels are held in fixed relation by a marginal frame which may be somewhat varied in design. An advantageous form is shown in section in Figures 3 and 4. In this design the frame consists of a front molding 16, a back strip 17 and a marginal strip 18. These are nailed or otherwise secured together. In the case of nailing, nails 19 pass through the molding and through the panel into the back strip 17. The marginal strip 18 lies at right angles to the plane of the parts 16 and 17 and not only forms a finishing strip but alsoacornice for protecting the frame (and the sign to a considerable extent) from the weather.

In Figures 1 to at I have shown the frame as being made of wood. In many cases I prefer to employ sheet metal and have illustrated a good design in Figure 8 in which the frame has a cornice-like hollow section 20 having a vertical bottom flange 21 and a horizontal top flange 22. In erecting the structure nails 24 are driven through the bottom flange and upper'end of thepanel into a back strip 26, although other fastening means may be substituted. In the same way it is common to apply nails 27 to the top flange 22 and drive them through the flange into the top of strip 26. This produces a sign of attractive appearance and one that is practically all metal.

In practice the individual panels and the members composing the frame are shipped unassembled. When the place of erection is reached all that is necessary is to bring the panels together end to end, fitting the box sections at one end of a panel into the channel at the adjacent edge of the adjacent panel. The frame members are then applied and their effect is to permanently hold the panels assembled,preventing the panels from separating laterally and also preventing them from shifting longitudinally. Conse quently when the parts have been assembled the structure becomes not only unitary but extremely rigid and capable of withstanding great stresses and wind pressure. It is also moisture proof and wind proof with the resulting advantages hereinabove tioned.

It will be understood that various means menmay be employed for holding the signboard Y dinal edges whereby relative longitudinal movement might occur but transverse movement, perpendicular to the plane of the panels, is prevented, one edge of a panel being channeled and the other edge havin a bent portion for stiffening the panel an making a sliding fit with the channel on the adjacent panel, independent border strips at the ends of the panels extending across a plurality of them for preventing apart in the direction of their planes.

2. A sectional sign board comprising sheet metal panels arranged edgewise in the same plane, one edge of a panel having a channel running lengthwise of the panel and the other edge of the same panel having a box section fitting into a similar channel on the next panel, the box section being formed by bending the metal back upon itselfi and securing it to the back of the sheet, means for holding the box section in the adjacent channel and means for preventing relative longitudinal movement of the panels. J

3. A signboard having a plurality of identical metallic panels having a channel at one edge and a box section at the opposite edge whereby when two panels are assembled edge to edge the box section of one panel will fit into the channel of the adjacent panel, and a frame adapted to fit over the ends of the panels for holding them against endwise movement, the box sections and channels terminating short of the ends of the panels to clear the frame.

4. A signbo-ard having a plurality of identical metallic panels having a channel at one edge and a box section at the op po- I site edge whereby when two panels are assembled edge to edge the box section of one panel will fit into the channel of the adjacent panel, means for preventing the panels from moving away from each other in a direction transverse to the interfitting edges, and means for preventing the panels from moving relatively to each other in a direction parallel to their interfitting edges.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

FREDERICK M. SAYRE. 

